Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Hannah Fry
Summary: A
look inside the algorithms that are shaping our lives and the dilemmas they
bring with them.
If you were
accused of a crime, who would you rather decide your sentence―a mathematically
consistent algorithm incapable of empathy or a compassionate human judge prone
to bias and error? What if you want to buy a driverless car and must choose
between one programmed to save as many lives as possible and another that
prioritizes the lives of its own passengers? And would you agree to share your
family’s full medical history if you were told that it would help researchers
find a cure for cancer?
These are
just some of the dilemmas that we are beginning to face as we approach the age
of the algorithm, when it feels as if the machines reign supreme. Already,
these lines of code are telling us what to watch, where to go, whom to date,
and even whom to send to jail. But as we rely on algorithms to automate big,
important decisions―in crime, justice, healthcare, transportation, and
money―they raise questions about what we want our world to look like. What
matters most: Helping doctors with diagnosis or preserving privacy? Protecting
victims of crime or preventing innocent people being falsely accused?
Hello World takes us on a tour
through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the algorithms that
surround us on a daily basis. Mathematician Hannah Fry reveals their inner
workings, showing us how algorithms are written and implemented, and
demonstrates the ways in which human bias can literally be written into the
code. By weaving in relatable, real world stories with accessible explanations
of the underlying mathematics that power algorithms, Hello World helps us to determine their power, expose their
limitations, and examine whether they really are improvement on the human
systems they replace.
Angie’s
comments: Take a look at the possibilities that algorithms represent, and
the questions that they raise. It is a non-tech approach to understanding the
power of algorithms and the power of humans.
Recommended
for readers interested in the interplay between technology and society.
